The Great D-VA and Tracer Switcheroo
by TheLonelyMan
Summary: A story that takes place before The Spider and the Fly, where Tracer first becomes aware of how good a friend D-VA is.


It was another fine day at the hub. The majority of the agents were out on missions, leaving just a few behind to hold down the fort. Among them was Lena Oxton a.k.a. Tracer and Hana Song a.k.a. D-VA. The latter was known as something of a trickster, always setting up elaborate pranks and videos for her online fans. Today, she was planning to pull her biggest of all time.

Tracer was just crawling out of bed when she noticed that her uniform was missing. Her accelerator was still in place, but everything else, including her trademark goggles, was gone. She began furiously pawing through drawers and closets, hoping she'd just misplaced them, when there was a knock on the door.

Sliding open, Tracer was greeted by the sight of...Tracer? The girl had her stolen clothes, the same head of spiky hair, and even the same cocky grin plastered on her face. Was she an agent of Talon? Some kind of omnic? Tracer leaned back, ready to pounce. Just as she was about to launch forward, the imposter held up her hands.

"OMG, Tracer Racer, it's just me!" Tracer knew only one agent who used gamer-speak: D-VA.

"What the bloody hell is going on, D? Why are you wearing my clothes?"

"Keep it on the DL, homegirl. My peeps back home need a new vision from their goddess."

"I don't give a damn, love!"

"How about I make us even, Lady Lena? You can borrow my threads for the future."

"What the hell do you-"

Before she could finish, Hana grabbed her by the hand and sped down the corridor to her private quarters. With something approaching the speed of light, she squeezed Lena into her bodysuit and fixed up her hair and makeup. When Lena got the chance to check herself in the mirror, she was very nearly blown away: she looked exactly like D-VA.

"#Youmakeitlookgoodgirl"

"I really do, don't I?"

Just then, a voice came through the speakers. "Tracer and D-VA, report to the Training Field for recertification IMMEDIATELY!"

"Damn! We don't have time to switch back!"

"Chill it down, sugar sister. It'll just be a little test like before. #Soeasy."

With that, D-VA, or should I say Tracer, raced down the hall like a roller skater on ecstasy. Tracer, or should I say D-VA, had to really run to catch up. Even then, she was nearly out of breath when she finally made it.

The instructor for the day was Athena, the superintelligence that managed every system within the hub. "Tracer, D-VA. It has come to my attention that neither of you have passed your yearly physical exam. As you know, this means that you may not receive any new assignments until you pass. That's why you WILL be taking the exam today separately."

"Tracer, as you are no doubt aware, powers are not to be used in exams. That means you may not blink or use any of your other abilities. D-VA, I've had your mech suit reconfigured. It will now move and react far more naturally than it has in the past."

Both girls stayed silent, aware that their accents would give them away and very likely result in discipline. Plus, they would not be able to rejoin the fight against Talon for a very long time.

"No witty talkback? How odd. In any case, it's time to get started. Please move to your designated section."

A wall began to rise from the middle of the floor as each girl reluctantly got ready for action. Tracer was nervous. She had never been one for physical combat, instead relying on her suit to protect her. D-VA was even more unsettled. She didn't know the first thing about piloting a suit.

As the bell began to ring, the two started to move forward. D-VA's movements were clunky and uncoordinated at first, but she gradually learned to treat the suit as an exoskeleton that moved with her. Tracer, on the other hand, stopped to do some quick stretching. She found that her outfit helped, as it pulled and pinched in reaction to every movement, never impeding or bothering.

The first part of each test was an obstacle course with things like swings, barriers, poles, and electric fences. Both agents took some hits due to their inexperience, but they managed to pull through in the end.

But that was the easy part. The second was a battle arena filled with holograms representing Talon agents, mechs, and other assorted enemies. To clear it, an agent would have to use every weapon and skill they possessed. If they suffered defeat, they would have to repeat the entire simulation again.

To top it off, neither girl was in top condition. D-VA's neck was stiff and her body cramped from the small size of her mech. Tracer was worn out by all the dodging and running she had been forced to pull off.

Nevertheless, they moved into position for the next challenge. As the bullets started to fly, Tracer pulled off a triple hit that took down three enemy soldiers instantly. "My peeps LOVE this!", she said to herself. Then she realized that no one was listening. There was no camera in front of her recording her awesomeness. No fans to cheer her on as she blew a rival mech to pieces. Without attention, Tracer felt disconnected from the fight, unable to focus.

D-VA had the opposite problem. As soon as she started getting the hang of things, a loud squeal of feedback, curses, and other random garble came screeching through the headphones strapped over her ears. The noise disrupted her flow and made it hard to keep her movements timed properly, to the point where she nearly tripped over a piece of mech.

Both agents were quickly defeated in seconds. D-VA sent a message to Athena requesting a short break, which she granted. The two girls huddled in the corner and talked out their problems.

"Where are my peeps? #Whyme?"

"Your "peeps" are louder than bloody banshees, love. How do you put up with their crap?"

"WDYM, Tracespace?"

"Hana dear, could you stop talking like a GODDAMN COMPUTER for one second and HELP ME!"

"Here." Tracer reached over and pushed a button on D-VA's throat guard. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

"What'd you just do?"

"Mute button. DIY project."

"Makes sense. Now listen here, crumpet. You don't need a bloody camera in front of you to be a hero. All you need is the satisfaction of knowing that you did the right thing. You understand me?"

Tracer nodded. Athena's voice came on. "Break's over. Return to the arena to resume the exam."

Their confidence restored, both girls cleared the arena in record time. Pleased with their results, Athena cleared them for duty. Finally, they could switch clothes and resume their appropriate duties.

"I must say, love, that mech of yours was a bloody thrill to ride."

"Thanks but no thanks, Tray-Tray. I need to work my guns harder than a Chromian-"

"I don't need to know that, Hana. Now if you would, I've got some sleep to catch up on."


End file.
